Electrical current powers various accessories and safety and engine control systems in modern automobiles and other motor vehicles. Electrical power is generally stored in and dispensed to these accessories and systems from a storage battery located under the hood or in the trunk of the vehicle. The electrical current is dispensed to these systems via electrical cables and wires that originate near the positive and negative terminal posts of the storage battery. In most gasoline and hybrid automobiles sold today in the United States, the storage battery is rated at twelve volts.
A battery terminal clamp provides the connection between the cables and the battery terminal posts. Many battery terminal clamp designs are available to vehicle manufacturers. However, these vehicle manufacturers are always seeking improved battery terminal clamp designs.
Because these clamps are typically placed under the hood of the vehicle, they are subjected to road tar, vibration, extreme variations in temperature and ambient humidity, and the deleterious and corrosive effects of rain, snow, and road salt spray.
Battery terminal clamps are typically neither cleaned nor regularly maintained. In fact, they are frequently ignored until the vehicle owner is stranded as a result of the failure of the electrical storage battery or its related cable or wire. As a result, the battery terminal clamps must be rugged and reliable, so as to withstand the harsh conditions to which they are subjected.
Preferably, the design of a battery terminal clamp should be simple, with as few parts and as few moving parts, as possible. The design should be corrosion resistant, easy to fabricate and assemble, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The design should also have a relatively low profile, so as to fit within the small under-hood confines of modern lightweight automobiles. The design should be rugged, highly conductive, and provide strong and reliable clamping power.
The typical twelve-volt electrical storage battery that both starts the engine of a motor vehicle, and powers its current drawing components, is rechargeable. During normal operation, that battery is recharged by an on-board alternator or generator that is powered by a system of pulleys and belts secured to the vehicle's engine.
However, during very cold weather or for reasons related to mechanical or electrical failures or malfunctions, the charge of the electrical storage battery may be reduced to an extent that prevents it from adequately cranking and starting the engine. In such a case, one solution is to “jump start” the failing battery with the donor battery from another vehicle. To do this, one end of jumper cables is attached to the failing battery, while another end is attached to the donor battery.
Typically, the ends of the jumper cables are attached to the sides of the battery terminal clamp in both vehicles. The sides of these battery terminal clamps and the jaws of the jumper cables are often of irregular or incompatible shapes or sizes. As a result, the mechanical and electrical connection between the battery terminal clamps and the jaws of the jumper cables is less than ideal.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a battery terminal clamp having a charging tab with a regular shape or configuration. It is a further object of the invention to provide a battery terminal clamp having a size and other features that facilitate a secure mechanical and electrical connection to the jaws of a conventional jumper cable.